Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 0 Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur ended a 17-year trophy drought and won their first European trophy in 41 years.
Manchester United fought hard after falling behind. They created plenty of chances but couldn’t break through Tottenham’s solid defense. A defender made an incredible clearance off the goal line, and the goalkeeper pulled off some brilliant saves. Tottenham held on to their lone goal and celebrated their Europa League triumph.
On Wednesday night at San Mamés in Bilbao, Tottenham won the all-English Europa League final 1-0.
The only goal came late in the first half from Brennan Johnson, giving the Premier League’s 16th and 17th placed teams the lead.
Not only did Tottenham break their 17-year wait for silverware, but they also secured a spot in next season’s Champions League under Ange Postecoglou.
Before this success, Tottenham’s last trophy was the League Cup in the 2007-08 season. Their last European trophy was also the Europa League, back in 1983-84, when it was called the UEFA Cup.
Despite a tough Premier League season, Manchester United were very consistent in the Europa League, reaching the final unbeaten. But this time, Rúben Amorim’s side couldn’t go all the way. Their trophyless season was confirmed, and they will not feature in any European competition next season.
The final started with attacks and counterattacks from both sides, but clear chances were scarce, and neither goalkeeper was seriously tested early on.
With just three minutes left in the first half, Tottenham got lucky and took the lead. From the left, Papa Saré’s cross found Brennan Johnson inside the six-yard box. The ball brushed off United defender Luke Shaw and was redirected by Johnson past goalkeeper André Onana, who couldn’t reach it.
In the 58th minute, United had a good chance when Bruno Fernandes’ cross was blocked by Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario from Lenny Yaro’s attempt. Five minutes later, Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke missed a chance to double the lead as he lost control of the ball.
At the 68th minute, United were close to scoring. From midfield, Fernandes took a free kick; the keeper couldn’t clear properly, and Gasmus Haillon’s header was almost on target. But defender Micky van de Ven made a stunning jump and cleared the ball off the goal line.
Fernandes missed a header in the 72nd minute, and two minutes later, Alejandro Garnacho’s low shot was saved by Vicario. In the seventh minute of added time, Luke Shaw’s header was also stopped by Vicario, who played a crucial role in securing the victory.
